Thursday, April 14, 2011

New garden bed for Berries - Part 1

Yep your following....are you keeping up with all that I did today...it was hard work, and I had many breaks....otherwise there is no way I could complete all this work..but you see, I need the trailer empty because I have to go pick up a load of pavers to finish off mum's gardening area.....and before I do that, I wanted to get some mushroom compost....Sorry I am getting off track...so much has been done today.....When I finish this post, I'm off to bed.

Now, back to the new garden bed for the berries...........

continued on from the last post.........(I have a thornless blackberry which is very sad...I have had it for I think two seasons now, and it isn't growing very well....I think maybe, just maybe it doesn't like being WHIPPER SNIPPED...yep...you heard me....DS16 is a bit slap happy with the Whipper Snipper around the poor blackberry vine.....)

It's been calling out to me to help it...this Thorn-less Blackberry Vine....so today was the first day of the rest of it's life...lol........
After digging it up, no wonder it wasn't growing...it's totally water logged....We have a horrible clay based lawn in the front yard. So I shook most of the clump of clay off the roots of the vine..and placed it in a pot to recover...there it will stay for a few weeks to rest. I also re-potted into a larger pot, two Raspberry Vines I got marked down at Bunnings...they were $6 each....Bargain I reckon....So a new garden bed for the berries is called for......

First I mapped out the area I wanted on the fence line...Hah!, not really, I just started digging at the hole I had made from uprooting the Thorn-less Blackberry. To make a no-dig garden, it is an excellent start to chip away the topsoil and any grass and roots in the area. I didn't do this with the big garden bed, but I thought seeing they needed good drainage, I would go the whole hog...and do it properly....
Yep weed matting and all....(I have no cardboard left after making the big garden bed.)

I have had plenty of practice chipping grass and topsoil, as I paved our back yard...There is 12 tonne of road-base under our paver's in the back yard..Phew!! that was a huge job...it took me the whole summer....many summers ago (6 I think).   

So here is the sorry sad Thorn-less Blackberry vine after being re-potted.


and also the two Raspberry Vines...

Baby steps at this stage....
Hubby had just got home from work
so I knew it was time to go inside....
He looked as burnt out as I felt.



..........................
Day 1 comes to an end.

I have a busy day tomorrow out of the house, I'm off to the library hunting convicts...Yep Convicts...not sure I will find any, but I am enrolled in a free course at the library to learn all about researching them....So far Saturday is free, besides the usual Saturday list....and Sunday I am enrolled in a free Compost Course run by the council...at the end you get a voucher to take to the nursery to pick up a free Compost Bin....Well; I can't pass up that opportunity....and I really need to learn more about composting. I only use the Bokashi bucket that I made, but it's doing well...

A light spray of water on the Mushroom bags tomorrow
morning and I'm off hunting convicts.....

What are you up-to on Friday? 
It's Rhonda's birthday on Friday,
so pop over to Down to Earth 
and wish her a happy birthday.....

If I don't see everyone before Monday, its because I am too busy, 
but I'm sure we will all catch up....
Have a good weekend and hope to hear from you all soon.

Just luvin' this bloggin' and all its peeps.

3 comments:

  1. Hi nellymary, happy convict hunting!
    When I went looking I eventually found two. Very thrilling!

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  2. Ohhh....I spent the night taking mum to hospital for vomitting bug....got home at 4am...and woke at 6 to find I have a heavy chest....and a big old head cold....so I cancelled the convict hunting course.....oh well....there will be other chances.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nellymary - you exhaust me just reading your blog, lol! Slow down and relax a little! Hope your Mum is ok :(

    ReplyDelete